Tag: Electric Buses

After Three-Year Long Gap, New Olectra Batch Joins BEST

Olectra Greentech Limited bags an order of 2,100 SD EVs from BEST worth ₹3,675 crore. After ordering a lot of Buses from Tata, BEST seems trying to woo bus fans by choosing OGL.

In effort to strengthen its bus fleet, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking had issued a tender for 1,900 AC Electric Buses (with drivers) in late 2021. This tender included 100 Mini Buses, 400 Midi Buses and 1,400 Single Deck Buses. As the biddings proceeded, Olectra Greentech Limited was considered as the L1 bidder for Mini and Midi Buses while Tata Motors Limited was considered as an L1 bidder for the 1,400 SD Buses. This invited a huge controversy over BEST compromising quality over quantity, since the TATA Starbus Urban EVs that are already in service are running with a lot of technical drawbacks. Few months passed and the tender was modified to be meant as only 1,400 Electric AC Buses with drivers and this time, Evey Trans Private Limited (a subsidiary of Olectra) won as the L1 bidder, with Switch  Mobility (Ashok Leyland) and PMI Foton being the next two.

Tata Motors was rejected on the basis of their technical specifications and claiming it an unfair decision, approached the High Court. Causis E-Mobility (Naam toh suna hi hoga) too participated in this tender and got straightaway rejected. Olectra issued a letter of Acknowledgement on 23 May 2022 stating 2,100 Electric Buses with drivers would be procured for a contract of 12 years. After three years, Olectra has won a contract for BEST. On this occasion, let’s have a revision of Olectra’s journey so far with BEST.

A Track Record of Olectra’s buses with BEST

Olectra 712 of the Kalakilla Depot (Picture: Gandharva Purohit)
Olectra 712 of the Kalakilla Depot (Picture: Gandharva Purohit)

In 2018, BEST had purchased six non-AC buses built by KMS Coach Builders under the brand name Goldstone (since renamed Olectra). These electric buses are operated by Backbay Depot till date on route 100 from Ahilyabai Holkar Chowk (Churchgate Station) to Free Press Journal Marg (Nariman Point). Back in 2018 when the buses were new, Backbay used to send them on Route 25Ltd to Rani Laxmibai Chowk, Sion in the morning.

On 10 September 2019, the first wet-leased Olectra K7D: – 711/KK/OL of Kalakilla Depot ran on route A302 from Maharana Pratap Chowk, Mulund (West) to Rani Laxmibai Chowk, Sion via LBS Marg. It was the same time, when BEST had slashed down their ticket fares to ₹5-20 for non-AC Buses & ₹6-25/- for AC Buses. With this being the only active AC Bus in the suburbs, passengers were reluctant to board the AC Bus with the fear of having heavy prices. It was the effect of fare slash ­­­‑ conductor was promoting the fact of ticket not costing more than ₹25. As of now, 20 AC and 20 non-AC electric Midi Buses continue to serve the Kalakilla Depot of BEST which is also utilised for charging the Mumbai – Pune PuriBus, side by side.

In initial days, there happened to be complaints about the crew misbehaving with passengers in terms of stoppages, since BEST operated several routes without conductors. In this case, the drivers were instructed to pick up passengers only from bus stops where a conductor would be present for ground booking. One case was an activist, claiming himself to be a BEST Officer shat on the bus driver.

After multiple complaints, buses on long routes were given conductors onboard from 1 September 2021 and this, in a way helped clearing the mess. The maintenance of Olectra K7D was kept top notch all the time. This was the last model with BEST to sport the vertically opening windows that are becoming a part of history. The unique window design ensures proper ventilation inside non-AC buses. The contractor also took care of installing the old-school horns, that are a trademark for BEST uses along with the bell-pull that remains the best means of communication between a driver and conductor despite of all the technical advancements in buses.

In recent past, there were cases of ill-maintained buses of Olectra running on route 66 and C42 with broken rear windshields and window panel not properly replaced (happened with an AC Bus serving on C42Exp from Sion to Dadlani Park), although, both the buses were immediately attended and put back in service. In past three years, this 9-metre Olectra K7D did not just limit itself to Fort, Thane and Central Mumbai, but went beyond its reaching Mira-Bhayander as well.

Conclusion

The order of 2,100 Buses from Olectra was heavily welcomed by busfan community, knowing the performance of BYD Buses in service around the world. With Mumbai getting Single Deck Electric Buses in huge volume makes the aim of BEST electrifying the fleet by 2025 more clear, the Olectra K9D 2.1 soon joining the fleet has left several bus enthusiasts in excitement.

Wishing our hopes do not turn into ashes and BEST is really serious about fleet expansion. The fate of 900 Electric Buses is still awaited, where we have two big players in the market: Switch Mobility (Ashok Leyland) and Olectra Greentech (BYD K10). Another perspective of seeing this positivity is the date of Mumbai Municipal Elections, that let me to use the term “woo” in the beginning since at this moment, neither the crew nor busfans are happy with the current situation of BEST.

Alexander Dennis BYDK10 on route X140 . Picture courtesy :- ABshek Risbud
Alexander Dennis BYDK10 on route X140 . Picture courtesy :- ABshek Risbud

Passengers are trying to find other alternatives when a bus does not show up. It is high time BEST improves its image in the public domain or else it might end up in a downward spiral. With Tata Motors, JBM and Causis not able to qualify as per the mark, Olectra has taken the golden opportunity to a breakthrough. With the codal life of TATA CNG buses ending in 2024 and that of BS3 Ashok Leyland Buses in 2025, this huge order proves to be a better replacement to bring a balance in the bus fleet.

Featured Image: MEIL Olectra K9 2.1 of PMPML Bhekrai Nagar Depot (Picture: Gandharva Purohit)

If you are stepping out, do note that while masks are no longer mandatory, please stay safe, better safe than sorry. (P.S: I personally recommend getting the Viroshield Mouth Spray by Zydus Cadilla)

Note: An earlier version of this article said that the initial Olectra buses were built by BEBCO Body Builders and not KMS Coach Builders.

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After Sitting On Plans To Induct Electric Buses, Delhi Now Wants To Join The Electric Double-Decker Bandwagon

After dilly-dallying for months, the Delhi Transport Corporation got its first electric bus on 18 January 2022, amidst much fanfare (for one single bus). Of course, given that it is Delhi, the media can’t be far behind, can it? In an article titled On board Delhi’s first electric bus: ‘Noise-free, easy to drive, futuristic’, the Indian Express highlighted the advantages of the singular bus and added that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal planned to add 300 buses by April out of a planned 1,500 buses under the Central Government’s Grand Challenge scheme.

Of course, its Delhi, so there has to be some controversy right? Rohini MLA Vijendar Gupta has approached the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s office alleging a scam in the procurement of 1,000 buses and Baijal in turn has asked the Home Ministry to investigate the matter.

The DTC currently has 3,760 buses while the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMMTS) aka the Cluster Buses backs it up with an additional 2,933 buses, thus taking the total to 6.693. DTC has not procured buses in 14 years. The last purchase was made in 2008 when the current fleet of semi low floor buses was procured.

At the start of February, the DTC sent a proposal to the transport department to conduct a feasibility study on procurement of double-decker buses. The DTC hopes to procure at least 100 electric double-deckers. Under the Grand Challenge, the Central Government’s Convergence Energy Services Limited has allotted 1,500 electric single-decker buses and 100 electric double-deckers for Delhi. DTC wants the Government of NCT Delhi (GNCTD) to study whether these buses will be feasible for Delhi’s roads.

Delhi’s transport minister Kailash Gehlot made a claim that Delhi would be the first in the country to deploy electric buses on such a large scale while referring to the 1,500 buses. It is important to note that other cities are racing ahead, notably Mumbai under Aaditya Thackeray’s plan for a green transit solution (while conveniently delaying the Mumbai Metro under false pretenses). Mumbai’s BEST had said it would procure 900 electric double-deckers last month while it already has nearly 300 in its current fleet.

Gelhot however noted that Delhi had changed since it last saw double-deckers in 1985-1986 when the DTC came under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and these buses ran under the Suvidha service. With numerous road improvements, including flyovers and underpasses, trees and overhead cables, a proper study would be needed before inducting them into the fleet.

One key concern is the ability of a double-decker electric bus to climb flyovers while operating at full capacity.

If you are stepping out, make sure you wear a mask, follow COVID-appropriate behavior and keep your hands sanitised at all times. Delhi is not far from Maharashtra in terms of positive cases and deaths.

Featured Image: BYD Electric Bus in London

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After BEST And NMMT, Pune Now Wants To Experiment With Electric Double-Deckers

A week after BEST announced plans to procure 800 double-decker buses and NMMT announced its intentions to begin trials, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has announced its interest in the same.

Double-deckers were first operated in Pune in 1984 and were taken off the roads in 1995 due to operating costs and and accidents. I’m not sure if it was the Pune Municipal Transport (PMT) or Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Transport (PCMT) that operated them. At least six routes were operated on the Mumbai-Pune Road.

PMPML officials have stated that they have met with manufacturers of electric buses on the matter and keen on pursuing it due to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s alleged interest in double-decker buses.

The Corporation is looking at procuring buses on a wet-lease model, similar to BEST, while it will provide the required infrastructure for it. However, they have also agreed that operating double-decker buses isn’t an easy task and would require significant planning, particularly in the routes.

Note: After a little digging, I found more information. The double-deckers run earlier were operated by the PMT and not the PCMT. According to a DNA report, PMPML originally considered bringing back double-decker buses to the fleet in late 2014, however the proposal did not move forward much. The criteria for re-induction of these buses was due to wider roads and increased congestion.

Another proposal was mooted in 2017, this time in electric form. It had the backing of both the BJP-led PMC and PCMC along with the backing of then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Central Government.

Let’s hope PMPML is successful with its double-decker plans. The city currently has India’s largest fleet of electric buses.

Featured Image: Alexander Dennis-BYD Enviro400 EV

P.S: If you’re buying a car, don’t buy a Hyundai or Kia. You can read more why over here: Hyundai India blocks netizens after they question whether they endorse their Pakistani counterpart’s views on Kashmir

If you are stepping out, make sure you wear a mask, follow COVID-appropriate behavior and keep your hands sanitised at all times. Maharashtra is still the top state by total cases and deaths.

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How NMMT Grabbed An Opportunity And Made The Best Out Of It

We all would have heard the saying “Hit the Iron, when it is Hot”. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) has proved it well. It brought about a revamp that not only improved its services but also encouraged people to prefer them over its counterparts. Here is a detailed analysis of how NMMT has been through a critical phase and brought several improvements in its bus service.

The Beginning

When a majority of the population in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) was deprived of travelling by suburban trains, NMMT started Route 84 from Kurla Railway Station (East) to Bharat Gears (Mumbra) via Vashi and deployed their newly procured Ashok Leyland SLF CNG Buses. This invited a lot of criticism since both the destinations do not fall under the jurisdiction of NMMC. But this isn’t the first time NMMT has done it. Ghansoli Depot’s AC-131 is supposed to operate between Airoli Bus Station and Borivali Railway Station but most of the time operated between Borivali and Thane Railway Station (East), grabbing the passengers of the Thane Municipal Transport’s (TMT’s) only active Volvo route AC-65. Moving on, the undertaking received electric buses built by JBM Auto which brings us to the next point.

The Future is Electric

NMMT's JBM e9 at Thane CIDCO on Route no. 4 to Vashi Sector 7 and Route 8 Vashi Rly. Stn (Photo: Gandharva Purohit)
NMMT’s JBM e9 at Thane CIDCO on Route no. 4 to Vashi Sector 7 and Route 8 Vashi Rly. Stn (Photo: Gandharva Purohit)

As the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) was getting MEIL Olectra K9D buses and the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) was gearing up with the delivery of Tata Starbus Ultra and Urban EV, NMMT too had plans for expanding the Electric Bus strength with JBM Ecolife e9 and e12. They set up fast chargers at Vashi Railway Station as well to improve the efficiency. The e9 fleet was deployed on Non-AC routes like 1, 4, 8, 9, 42, 111 and 144 charging Non-AC Fares and AC-105, AC-107 and AC-110 with AC fares. There were paper sheets pasted on the front and side of the bus saying “साध्या दरात एसी प्रवास” (AC Bus at Normal Fares). The buses were impressive, so were their numbers. Slowly, the JBM e12 showed up as well and they began their journey by working on trials. The trials took so long that the buses lying idle started getting damaged during monsoon.

Then, the rumors came of these buses commencing their services during Diwali. Finally, in mid-November the buses started plying on routes 1, 62 and 100 but with a twist.

The Fare Revision

Walking on the footsteps of BEST, NMMT too came up with a solution of fare revision to attract passengers to their AC services. From 23 October 2021, the fares were revised with the minimum fare slashed down from ₹15 to ₹10 and the maximum fare brought down from ₹110 to ₹65. Considering the Volvo fleet of NMMT and the maintenance these buses require, this fare chart is quite reasonable. Talking of the difference between Non-AC and AC fares, the new fares have shortened the gap, thereby encouraging passengers’ buying capacity to avail a comfortable ride in AC through paying a little more. NMMT not only publicised this policy through a Press Note, but even through putting up banners at various bus stops. The twist though is that they started charging the new AC fares in the JBM electric euses which are deployed on their several Non-AC Routes.

However, the difference can’t be felt to such an extent. For instance, a ticket from Thane CIDCO to Sanpada Police Station is ₹23 for a Non-AC bus while it is ₹30 for the AC bus plying on route 1 between Thane and CBD Belapur. The “साध्या दरात एसी प्रवास” tagline on all their Electric Buses was replaced with “वातानुकूलित बस सवलतीच्या दरात” along with pasting the revised fare chart onboard to make passengers aware of the change in fares.

Network Expansion: Connecting the Unconnected

NMMT's JBM e12 arriving at Kharkopar Railway Station on Route no. 23 from CBD Bus Station. (Picture:- Gandharva Purohit)
NMMT’s JBM e12 arriving at Kharkopar Railway Station on Route no. 23 from CBD Bus Station. (Picture: Gandharva Purohit)

With Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) workers on an indefinite strike, NMMT saw another opportunity in this case and started expanding their operation radius beyond Navi Mumbai. Navi Mumbai itself is expanding, with the suburban rail now serving Ulwe (Kharkopar) and further planning to reach Uran. The Mumbai Trans-Harbour Sea-Link (MTHL) is being developed in full swing while Navi Mumbai International Airport remains a big Question Mark till date. The residential areas are developing in Ulwe on one hand and Taloja and Shil Phata on the other. Over the years, Ambernath – Badlapur never had their dedicated public transport undertaking and are dependent on NMMT unlike Kalyan – Dombivli who have KDMT to serve their areas. But the Volvos of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Transport (KDMT) are in miserable condition now and mostly operated from Vasant Valley Depot to Kalyan Railway Station.

NMMT now armed with a variety of Ashok Leyland JanBus, Tata LPO1613, Volvo B7RLE, JBM e12, JBM e9, Eicher Skyline Pro, Tata Starbus Ultra, the newly procured Ashok Leyland SLF CNG and some of their old CNG Buses to choose upon, was ready to tackle these situations.

First things first, the newly procured CNG SLF buses were put into service between Kurla and Bharat Gears Mumbra. This was an invitation to heavy amount of criticism but neither BEST nor TMT focused on this. So NMMT took the non-AC buses and started the service. It turned out to be a success since trains were not accessible for everyone, thereby major public transport commuters were relying on buses.

NMMT's Tata LPO1613, Ashok Leyland JanBus and SLF CNG at CBD Belapur Railway Station (Picture: Gandharva Purohit)
NMMT’s Tata LPO1613, Ashok Leyland JanBus and SLF CNG at CBD Belapur Railway Station (Picture: Gandharva Purohit)

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They then started three routes to South Mumbai via the Eastern Freeway. One from Ghansoli Gharonda, one from Kharghar and one to CBD Belapur. These routes included the operations of CNG SLF buses, Volvo B7RLE and JBM e9 combined. When JBM e12 fleet was under trials, few of them were deployed on AC-107 from CBD Bus Station to World Trade Centre as well. Once their JBM e12 finally entered service, many were sent en route Lokmanya Nagar (100), Kalyan (62), Thane CIDCO (1), Bamandongri (17) on day one. 

TMT meanwhile was busy playing around with its AC-145 which initially started from Bharat Gears Mumbra to Mumbai CSMT via the Eastern Freeway with just one Volvo sent in the morning and in the evening. This was later extended upto Datta Mandir near Kalyan Phata. It was a time-consuming route and the bus used to run empty. Even the driver didn’t bother to stop until someone requested. With the LED Display off, hardly anyone would notice its presence. Just like its predecessor AC-144 (Cadbury Junction to Mantralaya), it was ultimately shut down. There is a just a single newly-started route that TMT is handling well which is 74 from Thane to Diva Railway Station. Lately, they are running routes 79 and 99 from Mulund Check Naka to Parsik Nagar and Retibunder Kharegaon with a good frequency during peak hours.

NMMT's Ashok Leyland SLF CNG on Route 58 from CBD Belapur to Khopoli. (Photo: Gandharva Purohit)
NMMT’s Ashok Leyland SLF CNG on Route 58 from CBD Belapur to Khopoli. (Photo: Gandharva Purohit)

NMMT too recently started their route from Thane CIDCO to Diva Railway Station via Digha Village, numbered 86. Thus the Ghansoli depot’s Tata Starbus Ultra midi buses have started competing with TMT’s 2×1 Ashok Leyland diesel midibuses. On the southern end, NMMT had started plying buses from Vashi to Khopoli via Panvel. With the discontinuation of Khopoli Municipal Transport (KMT) service, this route proved to be a saviour. Currently, this route is curtailed up to CBD Belapur Railway Station. During the MSRTC Strike, another route was inaugurated from CBD Belapur. Route 49 to Karjat is operated by Asudgaon Depot via Panvel, Shedung and Chowk becoming the first municipal transport body to enter Karjat.

Conclusion

JNNURM Duo Ashok Leyland CNG of NMMT and BEST at Vashi Railway Station. (Photo: Gandharva Purohit)
JNNURM Duo Ashok Leyland CNG of NMMT and BEST at Vashi Railway Station. (Photo: Gandharva Purohit)

NMMT was equally hit by losses during this pandemic but kudos to their planning, they are slowly coming out of this phase. Stretching their arms, there are talks to start buses towards Titwala, Shahapur but as of now, there is no confirmation regarding the same. From 1 September, BEST shrunk their network due to a fleet shortage despite having affordable ticket fares. TMT does not have any electric bus in its fleet as of today but there are talks to procure some of them in future. Once operating the Ashok Leyland buses which were similar to BEST, then the Volvos which are a pride of the undertaking, introducing the JanBus around 2017, rolling out the JBM e9 in late 2019 and the JBM e12 in 2021, NMMT has evolved over time. They have learnt from the mistakes that BEST made and ensured that they do not repeat it. Their Ghansoli Depot although needs improvement since it has roughest bus drivers of the undertaking and a below average maintenance of buses. The future seems bright for NMMT to expand its network since it has “Hit the Iron, when it is Hot”.

There might be several points I missed out. Do let me know about them in the comments section below.

Featured Image: NMMT Volvo on AC131 plying between Borivali and Thane at Waghbill Naka. Ghodbunder Road. (Photo: Gandharva Purohit)

If you are stepping out, make sure you wear a mask, follow COVID Appropriate behavior and keep your hands sanitised.

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BEST Gets Better With Plan To Charge Electric Buses Using Solar Energy

Going a step forward in making Mumbai’s public transport (at least the road part) cleaner, the Birhanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has announced that going forward, all electric buses will be charged using solar power. A report by the Times of India states that a significant amount of this electricity will come from rooftop solar panels installed by BEST’s electricity department consumers.

Under the Government of India’s Grid-Connected Rooftop scheme, electricity consumers can avail of a 40 per cent subsidy on installing panels. BEST is currently catering to 580 kWp (kilowatt peak) of solar power within its operational regions, that is South Bombay (SoBo). The energy generated by consumers is fed back into the grid in return of reductions in their bills.

BEST General Manager Lokesh Chandra has also said that the undertaking will only use Solar and in future wind and hydel power to power their electric fleet. He also said that the undertaking plans to procure the required solar energy to charge 2,100 buses by June 2023 and plans to completely convert its fleet to electric buses by 2027.

In August, BEST had said it plans to supply electricity to charge its buses and in September it had announced plans to open up 55 charging stations at its depots and bus stations for those who want to use them.

Did you know? The world’s first solar-powered bus was the Tindo (Karuna word for sun) in Adelaide, Austrialia. It was introduced in 2007 and is a battery-powered, air-conditioned bus with regenerative braking that can carry 40 passengers. Buses don’t carry solar panels but are charged using solar panels at the central bus station.

BEST is climbing up the electrification ladder quite fast.

If you intend to step out, whether to board on electric bus or not, please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

Featured Image: BEST electric buses (Picture: BJP MLA Yogesh Sagar via Twitter)

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BEST’s AC Buses To Airport Run Into Trouble With Transport Authority

On 11 October, Aaditya Thackeray flagged off two new routes of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking. The new routes, while not numbered are point to point services connecting Terminal 2 (T2) of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) with Banda Kurla Complex (BKC) and South Bombay (SoBo) respectively.

Activists claim that the fares are too expensive, which is a separate topic for another day. However, the fare system has run into another form of trouble.

According to a report by the Press Trust of India, the new fares have not been approved by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA). The report states that the BEST committee that approved the fares, but remained mum on whether it had been approved by the MMRTA or not. MMRTA member and Maharashtra Transport Commissioner Avinash Dhakne stated that authority had not received any intimation from BEST on the new fares. The report also added that according to a former member of the Motor Vehicles department, the fare cannot be implemented without a nod from the MMRTA. Another official from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) stated the same.

Fares for regular AC services start at ₹6 for up to 5km, ₹13 for up to 10km and are capped at ₹25. The higher fares for these airport-bound buses did see skepticism on social media.

Apart from social media, the new fares have received flak from corporators in the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) as well. Congress corporator Ravi Raja who also serves on the BEST Committee said that going ahead with the new fare without MMRTA approval was a blunder, remarking that the buses were meant for the ordinary commuter and not the elite class. BJP’s Bhalachandra Shirsat pointed out that under Aaditya Thackeray, BEST was moving in the direction of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC, or ST), which is now facing losses mounting to over ₹6,500 crores (in June 2021) which has in turn resulted in a lack of pay for employees. In the 18 months that the Uddhav Thackeray government has been in power, 27 MSRTC staffers have committed suicide due to financial duress, reports Mid-Day.

Another point of concern is BEST’s focus on SoBo and complete disregard for the suburbs under the current regime. Let us hope BEST cleans up its act soon, lest BEST turns the worst.

Featured Image: BEST’s new Electric Fleet on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.

If you intend to step out, whether to board on electric bus or not, please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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BEST Idea? Over Fifty Electric Vehicle Charging Points To Come Up AT Bus Depots

In a bid to boost the usage of electric vehicles (EVs) in the city, the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has decided to establish 55 EV charging stations at various bus depots and stops, reports The Free Press Journal. BEST General Manager Lokesh Chandra stated that these charging points will be made accessible to private vehicles as well.

BEST has 386 EVs in its fleet currently and not all of its 27 depots have charging facilities. Options for both slow and fast charging will be made available for those who want to use the charging points. The report also adds that according to Vahan, there are 2,143 EVs registered in four RTOs (Tardeo, Andheri, Borivali and Wadala) in Mumbai.

It currently takes six hours for BEST buses to charge completely, which may pose a hurdle considering that the undertaking is looking at procuring 1,900 electric buses by 2023. BEST’s current fleet consists of electric buses manufactured by Olectra (formerly Goldstone), and Tata Motors (Tata Starbus and Tata Marcopolo).

In a report for Mid-Day last month, transport experts felt that BEST could supply the electricity to its depots for charging EVs in order to reduce costs and more importantly, improve finances of the electricity supply division of the undertaking. Buses are currently heavily subsidised by the Central Government’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme.

This electrifying plan looks quite like the BEST idea for BEST right now.

Feautured Image: BEST’s Olectra Bus by Yash Mhadgut.

If you intend to step out, whether to board on electric bus or not, please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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BEST’s New Full Length AC Electric Buses Are On The Road And They Look Fabulous

Nearly four years after it got is first batch of electric buses (Goldstone non-AC buses at the Backbay Depot), the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking last week (7 August, BEST Divas), rolled out its latest buses. Full length, electric, air-conditioned buses are finally here as part of the fleet.

BEST has been experimenting with several buses over the last four years, particularly in the air-conditioned fleet. Today the fleet consists of Tata Starbus Diesel-Hybrid full-length buses, Force Smart Citibus Diesel mini-buses, Tata Marcopolo CNG midi-buses, Tata Ultra Electric Midi-buses, Olectra electric Midi-buses and now Tata Ultra Electric full-length buses.

The new lot of buses will be attached to the Backbay Depot in South Bombay and Dharavi Depot in mid-town. Two buses were flagged off on 6th August. The routes are A-115 from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to NCPA via Churchgate and A-116 from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to NCPA via the Reserve Bank of India and Museum (Dr Shyamaprasad Mookherjee Chowk).

Here are a few pictures of the buses:

Here is an older picture of the buses being transported from Tata Motors’ factory in Hubli, Karnataka.

Here’s to an electrifying future for BEST!

I’d like to thank Rupak Dhakate, Gandharva Purohit, and Vishal Naik for their inputs.

If you intend to step out please wear a mask, carry sanitizer and maintain social distancing.

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Spotted: Chennai’s Ashok Leyland AC Electric Buses On Trial In Bangalore

A month ago, I had spotted BMTC running trials using JBM’s Electric Bus fleet on Bannerghatta Road. In that post, I had also mentioned that BMTC had received bids from Veera, Ashok Leyland, and Olectra for trials of electric buses under the Centre’s FAME programme. Now while Olectra and JBM’s buses are popular across the country, the only city that used Ashok Leyland (AshLey) EVs was Chennai’s Metropolitan Transport Corproation (MTC). Launched by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in 2019, the buses are 9m long midi-buses and are completely air-conditioned.

Today, I spotted one of these buses on trials with the BMTC on Bannerghatta Road. Below id the image of the bus.

Ashok Leyland AC Electric Bus on Bannerghatta Road (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia via Wikimedia Commons)
Ashok Leyland AC Electric Bus on Bannerghatta Road (Srikanth Ramakrishnan/BESTpedia via Wikimedia Commons)

Ashok Leyland had tied up with Swiss-Swedish ABB Group to manufacture electric buses. I had interestingly, blogged about this back in October 2016; do read it here.

That’s all for the time being. This is really just an update, not more.

When you step out, please do take appropriate precautions.

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Pune’s Electric Buses Make Their Way To Hubballi-Dharwad For BRTS Trials

For the last decade, Karnataka has been among the most proactive states in India when it came to acquiring new buses. The state was among the largest beneficiaries under the UPA government’s sham JnNURM and is continues to be so under the Modi sarkar’s FAME scheme for electric buses.

The second urban agglomeration in Karnataka, comprising the twin cities of Hubballi and Dharwad in the northern reaches of the state is the only city in the state with a functional bus rapid transit system (BRTS). The 22 km long HDBRTS connects the two cities and uses a fleet of 100 custom-built purple Chigari buses built by Volvo AB’s subsidiary UD Trucks. (I had posted a picture of a UD bus on trial with BMTC in my last post.)

On Thursday, 10 December, Kishan Rajput reporting for the Times of India tweeted out a picture of an Olectra eBuzz K9 belonging to the Pune Smart City Development Corporation Limited (PSCDCL) and operated by the PMPML with a notice that it was on trial with the Hubli Dharwad Company Limited.

While many cities make use of Olectra’s eBuzz series, PMPML’s fleet, consisting of both the the 9m long K7 and the 12m long K9 are all equipped with right-hand-side doors for use on a BRT system.

While I’m not sure about UD buses, Volvo AB sold its bus business in India to VE Commercial Vehicles, a joint venture between Volvo and Eicher. It seems that BYD and Olectra are here to stay. I’d like to see more Tata and Ashok Leyland buses though, the latter of which are running on the streets of Chennai.

Apart from this, Olectra will also supply 30 buses to Dehradun, 150 to Surat and another 25 to Silvassa. Let’s hope the EV fever reaches Hubli-Dharwad soon!

That’s all from me this time.

Featured image: Volvo UD Chigari Bus on the Hubli Dharwad BRTS (Hubli Dharwad Infra on Twitter)

Also; Did You Know CoEP Has A PG Diploma In Metro Rail Tech And Electric Mobility?

If you intend on stepping out, don’t forget the basics: A mask and sanitizer.

           

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